Tenders and Turntables
Britt Allcroft & David Mitton |narrator= Ringo Starr George Carlin |season=1 |season_no=1.15 |number=15 |shining_time_station_episode(s)= * Whistle While You Work * Schemer's Robot |released= * 27th November 1984 * 24th April 1987 * 19th March 1989 * 22nd November 1990 * 19th April 1993 * 11th March 1998 * 8th January 2008 |previous="Thomas and Bertie/Thomas and Bertie's Great Race" |next="Trouble in the Shed"}} "Tenders and Turntables" is the fifteenth episode from season one. Gordon and James have trouble on the turntable. Plot Life has been harder at the yard since Thomas left to run his branch line. With no tank engine to shunt or fetch coaches for them, Henry, James, and Gordon must shunt in the sidings and fetch their own coaches which they do not like at all. The three engines' behavior and complaining embarrasses the railway and causes the Fat Controller a great deal of trouble. In addition, while Thomas, being a tank engine, does not need a turntable, the larger tender engines do, as it is dangerous for them to go fast backwards. However, Gordon believes the Fat Controller gave him a tender just to show how important he was. One windy afternoon after lamenting to Thomas about the recent work, Gordon arrives at the other end of the line with his train and heads for the turntable. The turntable is by the sea, so the wind is very strong and unless an engine is perfectly balanced on the turntable, it becomes difficult to turn. Gordon is in a bad mood and is unable to get perfectly balanced, and neither his driver nor fireman can get him to cooperate. After several attempts, they give up and Gordon is forced to pull his next train tender first, which he finds very humiliating. When Gordon arrives at the junction, a group of boys joke around and taunt him by calling him a tank engine. Thomas, who is waiting at the junction, laughs and suggests that Gordon should scrap his tender and get a nice bunker. Gordon says nothing. James passes by with his train and laughs at Gordon as well. Gordon warns James that he may also stick on the turntable, but James claims that will not happen because he is not so fat as him. When James gets to the sheds; he carefully lines up on the turntable, allowing it to move very easily. But the strong wind has other ideas and begins to spin James around like a top. Gordon arrives just in time to see the whole thing. When the turntable finally stops spinning, Gordon asks James if he is playing "Roundabouts". James says nothing and backs into the shed feeling dizzy and completely humiliated. That night, Gordon, James, and Henry hold an indignation meeting. They decide it would be best, after the day's events, to go on strike. Characters * Thomas * Henry * Gordon * James * The Little Boys * The Stone-dropping Boys * Annie and Clarabel * Sir Topham Hatt * Bertie * Märklin Engine Locations * Vicarstown Sheds * Vicarstown Goods Yard * Tidmouth Sheds * Elsbridge Trivia * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines. Much of the exposition at the episode's start is from the story Henry and the Elephant from the same book. * James' whistle while puffing onto the turntable and after being spun is absent in both Ringo Starr versions, but can be heard in all other versions. * Despite aiming to avoid using this term in the American script, this episode is one of the few instances to use the word "fat" in the US dub. * Two freeze frames are used when Thomas talks to Gordon about pulling his train backwards and when James is in the shed by himself. * A behind the scenes photo from this episode shows that the Märklin engine was used. * James' mishap with the turntable is based on an event that occurred in 1900 at a railway station in Garsdale Head, Cumbria, England. * This episode marks the only appearance of Vicarstown Goods Yard before Journey Beyond Sodor which was released thirty-three years later. Goofs * When the engines say "We get no rest! We get no rest!" Henry has no crew in his cab. * When the narrator says "The big stations at both ends of the line..." Henry is shunting the same coaches as he was when James came past shunting his and the first coach behind Henry seems to have a dented roof. * The narrator says "The fireman tried to turn the handle..." but there is a workman stationed at the turntable booth instead. * James' brake coach is backwards when he rushes through Elsbridge. * In the close-up of James spinning on the turntable, a crew member's face and arm are reflected in his paintwork and his dome is scratched. Also the wires between James and his tender are visible. * When the turntable stops spinning, it connects to the last berth on the right, but when James reverses, the turntable leads to the middle line. * When Thomas and Gordon are at Elsbridge, Clarabel is facing forwards, Gordon's left buffer is wonky and both of their puffing noises are heard before they start to move. * When James puffs onto the turntable, he is facing towards the sheds, but in the close-up of him as the turntable turns, he is facing away from the sheds. * In the close-up of the Fat Controller looking mad, his hat's brim has two chips on it. * In Gordon's close-up, his buffers are crooked. * When Gordon is talking to Thomas at Elsbridge before his turntable mishap, he is facing forwards towards Vicarstown. However, after his turntable mishap, he is Tender first towards Vicarstown instead of Elsbridge as he pulls his next train Backwards. In Other Languages Home Media Releases * Thomas and His Friends Get Along * The Early Years * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 1 DVD Boxsets * Totally Thomas Volume 2 AUS * Troublesome Trucks and other stories * Truck Loads of Fun * The Complete Series 1 * My First Thomas with James DVD Boxsets * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset * Essential Collection (Five Disc Collection) * Trainloads of Thomas Fun * Complete Series 1-10 * My First Thomas * My First Thomas (3 Disc Set) * Classic Collection * Series One and Series Two Double Pack NZ * James and the Express and other stories * Troublesome Trucks and other stories * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1 FRA * The Magic of Sodor JPN * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 4 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.7 * Anytime With James! * A Lot of Engines! * The Complete DVD Box 1 KOR * Stories to Raise Cooperation PHL * Thomas and Friends Collection * Thomas, Terence and the Snow (DVD) MYS * Tenders and Turntables and Other Adventures * Thomas, Terence and the Snow and Other Adventures SWE * Thomas in Trouble (Swedish VHS/DVD) GR * The Adventures of Thomas (VHS) UKR * A Train Thomas and Friends NL * The Great Race! (Dutch DVD) * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry HRV * Thomas and Brakesman GER * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 2 * Thomas and the Guard and 4 Other Adventures IND * Thomas and Bertie Adventures NOR/FIN/ISL * Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD) DNK * Thomas in Trouble and Other Stories (Danish DVD) ITA * Trouble in Store ROM * Thomas and Percy (Romanian DVD) DVD Packs * Triple Pack 1 SER * Thomas the Tank Engine 1 CHN * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD) HK * Thomas and Friends Volume 2 (Hong Kong DVD) (VCD) THA * Thomas and Friends - Volume 3 (Thai DVD) }} Category:Episodes Category:Thomas & Friends episodes Category:Thomas & Friends season 1 episodes Category:Classic Series Category:Episodes focusing on Thomas Category:Episodes focusing on Henry Category:Episodes focusing on Gordon Category:Episodes focusing on James Category:Episodes with Minor Human Characters in the Thomas Railway Series